Freedom House international human rights organization has issued a statement in connection with the Armenian parliament’s approval of amendments that “threaten to curtail media freedom and freedom of expression by significantly increasing fines for defamation and insult.”

“It is the responsibility of the Armenian authorities to protect media freedom and free expression in the country,” said Marc Behrendt, director for Europe and Eurasia programs at Freedom House. “It is unfortunate that the Armenian government is supporting fines that will stifle free expression and threaten the financial viability of media outlets in the country. Civil society has rightly criticized the bill on grounds that it could be abused to levy excessive fines and apply political pressure against independent media organizations for criticizing politicians and other powerful public figures. We urge the Armenian authorities to take the concerns of civil society and media organizations seriously, and strike down this legislation.”